The Grenada gazette. (Grenada, Miss.) 1885-18??, 1887-08-27
skyLAaks IN AMERICA
The Much-Praissd songstsr Heard In th0
Vicinity Of New York.

80 A0C8-4 boe000 O0kot0H tu00fW N V80
Vicinity Of New York.
George A. Dennison writes as fol.
lows: "To an American who is a
lover Of song birds the first hearing Of
the European skylark is noteworthy
event.. While waiting for the bird to
sing he is likely to wonder, as did the
writer. whether the song will SO far
surpass the music of our best singers
as the world wide reputation of the
bird might lead one to expect. 1t was
on Long Island, only a few miles from
our own city. that / heard for the first
time this assisted emigrant,' whose
advent Heaven be praisedD our laws
have not opposed. Twas walking near
field. not of grass, nor grain, nor
vegetables, but wceds-a desolate
waste-from which none would expect
melody to arise whose beauty has
been proclaimed to the corners of the
earth. But soon l was reminded that
to the lark, as to other birds, weeds are
not weeds; for new voice arose out of
the desert; and looking in the direction
OF the sound, l beheld bird of medium
size. with eager, fluttcring wings, only
few feet above ground, and rising by
short, quick flights. He poured
forth flood Of notes as he
went upward. The voice had
something in it-something indescriba-
ble-that made it different from any
bird song of ours. Then, too, it sang
while rising. This could be none other
than the European skylark, especially
as l had been told that he could DO
heard In that neighborhood.
1t is wonderfully inspiring to hear a
bird sing as he mounts heayenward.
yet with the skylark (dare I say it!)
the first feeling Of the listener is apt to
be one of disappointment. For the
quality Of tone and the character OF
the particular notes is what engrosses
the attention at the outset, and the OBJ
server calls to mind large number OF
singers whose notes are equal to these.
He can even name several whose
voices surpass this new voice from the
Old World. But do not insist too
much upon the tone quality. Wait
and listen. The song grows upon you.
You wonder where any creature can
find the power to sing SO rapturously
and continuously while mounting into
the sky. There is no pause at all be-
tween the notes. They are almost as
rapid as those of the bobolink, though
less impetuous, with less bubbling ex-
uberance. This is truly the joy-song
Of a blithe spirit borne aloft into the sky.
The skylark's is not a ringing song.
nor is it very loud; but being sweet, it
is heard y long distance when the bird
is in the air. There is marked differ
ence in this respect when the singer is
on the ground. Then the notes sound
not much more than half so loud. 1t
is probable that the bird sings louder
when flying, the sensation of rising
into the air and coming down again
stimulating him to more vigorous ex-
preston. Many Of the notes, perhaps
nearly half of them, are what might
be called, for want of better term. a
kind Of musical spluttcr Yet this
term is too harsh. The notes are more
rapid than MARBLE, and they are not
trill. The loudest notes Lever heard
are like tho last two notes of our mead
ow lark, only shorter and not plaintive.
The American bird that most nearly
resembles the skylark as to the gem
eral quality of song, leaving out the
quality of continuity, is the song SPAR
row. The two songs are not greatly
alike, yet there is much in common be-
tween them, especially as to tone
quality.-M y Post.
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